Kunsthuis Amsterdam is located in a former bank building in Oud-Zuid. In 2015, Mulder and his brother bought the space and turned it into an impressive exhibition space of nearly 300 m2. With regularity, they host exhibitions there by well-known artists such as David Yarrow, Bryan Adams, Selwyn Senatori, Mart Visser, Paco Raphael and others.
While interviewing and hanging new work, his love for art becomes clear. He meticulously measures the space between artworks and makes small adjustments to make it look perfect. Clearly a man with passion and a hands-on mentality.
Can you describe how Kunsthuis Amsterdam came about?
"My brother Bart and I started out as art lovers. Around age 30, when we had a little more money to spend, we slowly became art collectors. At one point we had more works of art than we could fit in our house. But that didn't stop us from buying even more art. It got to a point where we either had to stop or do something serious with our art collection."
"People who saw our acquisitions were always interested in learning more about them. They wanted to know who made it or where we bought it. Bart and I loved sharing our passion. That's why we chose to keep showing our collection to other people. When a suitable location became available in Leiden, we opened our first gallery. Kunsthuis Leiden was born and quickly became a success. We were able to grow. One of the new locations was Kunsthuis Amsterdam."
What makes Kunsthuis Amsterdam different from other galleries?
"We have always wondered why people feel a certain kind of trepidation about entering a gallery. I know this feeling myself. Usually that discomfort comes from the atmosphere in those galleries. Maybe you feel a certain attitude that makes you feel unwelcome. Or you feel like you know too little about art to start a conversation about a work of art. At Art Houses, we want people to come in, have a cup of coffee and enjoy their time here. Look at the artworks, talk about them with the people around you, even bring your kids if you want. Art should be an enjoyable experience and available to as many people as possible."
"We are welcoming to people of all budgets, and we communicate our prices in an honest and open way. At Art Houses, you can see the purchase price of an artwork at first glance. That's still unusual at most other galleries. Our vision is that a work of art should suit someone in terms of taste, but also in terms of money. Many customers have been positively surprised by our transparency."
"At Art Houses, we pre-purchase the works of our artists. As a result, over the years we have built up a large collection for customers to choose from. You can buy these contemporary artworks, but you can also lend them out. The system of art lending is not new to the Netherlands, but the way we use it is different. Traditional art lending companies have many works available, but they don't have the same level of quality as we do. My brother and I always felt that we should make artworks by established or even famous artists also accessible to beginning art collectors on a tight budget. So we modified the art lending system to appeal to a wider audience. Now even a young art lover can walk out the door with a Damien Hirst or a David Yarrow to take home. That's always been our goal and it's really nice to see."
How does the lending system work?
"If you are interested in a work of art in one of the Art Houses, you can decide to buy it or borrow it. This can also be done online. You click on the artwork of your choice and you see the purchase amount or the monthly cost for borrowing the artwork. You pay 1% of the total amount for the actual rent and another 1% that counts as savings. That savings accrues. You can use the savings to borrow or buy another work of art. At Kunsthuis Amsterdam, you can always decide to buy the artwork you have on loan for the original purchase price. So even if an artwork has drastically increased in value during the time you have it on loan, you still have the right to buy it for the original purchase amount. Your loan always becomes an investment."